1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a device for use with babies or infants and, more particularly, to a padded pacifier holder designed to keep the pacifier in place whether the baby is sleeping or awake.
2. General Background
As is well known, babies or infants are generally comforted when they are allowed to suck on a pacifier. However, as is also well known, when the pacifier falls out of the babies' mouth, the baby is no longer comforted and generally cries until such time that the pacifier is replaced.
As the child grows, he learns how to replace the pacifier himself. In fact, many devices exist to aid the child in locating a "lost" pacifier, the most common device being a small string or ribbon having one end secured to the pacifier and the other end to the child, such as through a clip or the like. To help the child locate a lost pacifier in a darkened room, it is becoming increasingly common for the pacifier to "glow in the dark" so that it can thus be located by sight as well as by touch.
Pacifier holders taught by the prior art include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,556,104 issued to Janklow; U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,747 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,910 both issued to Kramer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,147,384 issued to LaRocca; U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,758 issued to Killebrew; U.S. Pat. No. 2,409,820 issued to Zimmern; U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,974 issued to Scarpelli, et al.; and, British Specification No. 766,082.
However, these devices are of no use to a new-born infant who cannot fend for himself. Nor can the new-born maneuver his limbs so as to grasp and replace a pacifier that has fallen out of his mouth. Furthermore, even when the newborn infant has the pacifier in his mouth, it frequently falls out or is unintentionally pushed out by the baby. In these cases, it is desirable for the pacifier to always be within reach of the baby so that it will always be available when needed.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a means of supporting a pacifier in relation to the infant such that the infant can find the pacifier when it is desired even though the baby may have pushed the pacifier out of his mouth.
Another object of this invention is to support the pacifier so that it is not likely to become lost or fall out during use.
Still another object of this invention is to provide access to the pacifier whether the baby is sleeping or awake.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a comforting pad or cushion for the baby so that he will not only be comforted by having access to the pacifier, but also by feeling or being in contact with the pad or cushion.
Still another object of this invention is to conform the comforting pad or cushion so that it can lay alongside the baby, or even upon the baby's chest, while still enabling the baby to find comfort in the pacifier.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide the baby with a stimulating device while being so comforted so as to encourage the use of the baby's limbs, thereby increasing the baby's motor skills. These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become obvious upon further investigation.